Gurriel is in the lineup tonight and I hope the Astros get their butts kicked.
I’m guessing Yu gave up lots of HRs to Blue Jays in recent years. 
Yeah, he’ll have to watch the pitches pretty close, or maybe Maeda will give him the round-eyes move on a strikeout. 
To win this whole thing, the Dodgers have got to start getting the lead. The Astros are not a team to let them be the comeback boys we’ve seen all year here in L.A. They’re not the Padres or Giants and I hope Wood is on fire to stuff them early. Wood is up and down, better in the season beginning, but I think he’ll shine tonight.
Good guess. Kershaw tomorrow and we’re back to LA no matter what.
Man, great job by the Dodgers. I loved them showing kershaw getting up on the mound after thr game already getting ready for tomorrow.
I’m pissed at Gurriel for his stupidity causing a distraction from a great postseason.
I’m good with the suspension. Gurriel’s action did not affect a World Series game and neither should his suspension. If his apology is good enough for Darvish, that should end it.
MLB Network is reporting that Dave Martinez is being named the new manager of the Nationals.
Re: Gurriel, I think what he did is clearly offensive and should face a sanction. However, it seemed like something that was done in the heat of the moment and his explanation was that he was excited because he had never had much success against Japanese pitchers and that he did that gesture as he was talking to whomever in the dugout. I accept that explanation. I don’t think it was done maliciously. That doesn’t make it less offensive, but if Darvish is good with it, then I am as well. Bear in mind, too, that Gurriel is not a native of the US and may simply not have the same awareness of these issues that we in the US have. I think he should be suspended and fined and go through some sensitivity training, but punishing the team for that one momentary act would have been extreme. I think the right call was made.
Re: last night’s game, the Dodgers made adjustments at the plate. I don’t know if they adjusted to breaking balls or if they just liked the Astros bullpen - could be the latter. Jansen was effective but again got torched for a long ball. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles being put in a situation where he’s protecting a 1 or 2-run lead.
This could be a good move. Martinez has been a baseball coach for a while and has worked with Joe Maddon. Not that being part of the Maddon coaching tree will automatically net results, but he had a reputation for being a gritty, down-to-business player and seems to have the respect of players in the dugout.
I hope I’m wrong but I have a feeling the Astros are going to get to Kershaw before the 5th inning tonight. I think Keuchel will win the rematch of these two and it’ll go back to LA. I could see this going 7.
Actually, I hope you are right! Kershaw’s postseasons includes these:
2008 NLCS vs PHI: 0-0 record, 4.50 ERA
2009 NLDS vs STL: 0-0, 2.70
2009 NLCS vs PHI: 0-1, 9.45
2013 NLCS vs STL: 0-2, 6.30
2014 NLDS vs STL: 0-2, 7.82
2015 NLDS vs NYM: 1-1, 2.63
2016 NLDS vs WSN: 1-0, 5.84
2016 NLCS vs CHC: 1-1, 3.00
2017 NLDS vs ARI: 1-0, 5.68
2017 NLCS vs CHC: 1-0, 2.45
He is hittable and has his postseason flaws.
Yes but he has also been tremendously dominant, too.
GO ASTROS!!!
Screaming the n-word at an African-American opponent may not technically “affect” the game; should that be treated lightly?
So you don’t think he should have been suspended at all?
“Well, the victim of the racist taunt seems okay, so no biggie” soon becomes “Why don’t you calm down about being the victim of racism? Then we won’t have to punish Jim.”
I didn’t care who won this world series, but the fans had to give Gurriel an extra big cheer (as if he was the aggrieved party) so fuck Houston. Go Dodgers!
This the entire problem with an insufficient punishment.
Even if Gurriel is 100% contrite, apologetic, remorseful, a genuinely good person and will never do it again, that still doesn’t matter, because you have to send a signal to the idiot jerks. A weak response makes the whole thing seem like a wink-wink nudge-nudge situation to the idiots, because if it were actually serious, well, then he would’ve received a harsh punishment for it, right? The people who are too mentally limited to see he did something wrong need to know, at bare minimum, that there are genuine consequences. Even if they don’t agree, they need to see these consequences exist. Otherwise, they just become more and more convinced the whole thing is worth nothing more than lip-service to “appease the offenderati”, rather than the serious breach of workplace ethics that actually happened.
There is one positive aspect to him not being suspended during the series.
If the same game occurred last night without Gurriel in the lineup due to suspension, we would have heard incessant whining from Houston about how they “would have won, if only…” Instead, we beat them fair and square in their house. The ultimate revenge, especially if Kershaw can decimate them today. Manfred completely blew the call, but at least there is a silver lining. Plus, I don’t think Gurriel is going to have a pleasant time in LA.
People keep saying things like this, and I don’t mean to single you out, but I feel like you aren’t actually reading the story that happened. This has nothing to do with US culture. Gurriel played baseball in Japan and fully acknowledged that he knew how offensive what he did is to people of Asian cultures. Please don’t make this about some poor, lost foreigner not understanding how America works.
Again, I’m glad he apologized, I’m glad Darvish reacted the way he did, and I’m glad Gurriel received some sanction. But can we please cut the crap about poor Gurriel having no idea he could have caused any offense? Even HE is not making that claim, so please don’t do it for him.
Getting back to the game last night, I managed to make it over to Mandalay Bay to watch the game in the sports book. Lots of Dodger fans in attendance, many of us in full regalia. A tense but very fun experience. There were also a surprising number of people rooting for Houston in the audience, but at least some of them (including the one guy in a Giants t-shirt) were clearly rooting AGAINST the Dodgers.
And then there was the group of Nebraska supporters who kept throwing the rest of us off by cheering at odd moments (watching their team come back on a different screen).
Anyway, definitely fun to get to watch the game with a bunch of other baseball fans!
Today, I think Kershaw won’t be as sharp as in Game 1, but I think Keuchel won’t be, either. I’m predicting a 7-3 Dodger win, and that prediction is as good as the paper it’s printed on (please don’t print this page).
I watched last night’s game in a Chicago sports bar and I won’t make that mistake again. Yes, the Dodgers beat the Cubs, but this is the north side of Chicago, we’re a National League area. Some of these drunken meatheads should really be ashamed of themselves.
I lived in Illinois for four years.
You aren’t wrong.